How to SIM Unlock your mobile phone with minimum pain and expense.

Most modern GSM phones are delivered SIM locked to a particular carrier. This long standing practice is mainly aimed at making it difficult for customers to switch carriers. Trouble is, this practice prevents travellers from avoiding huge roaming charges by buying a SIM card from a local carrier in the country they are visiting. I do it often and the savings can be considerable.

Most Canadian carriers..at least the Big 3..will unlock phones under certain conditions for a $50 fee. In the US the situation is a little murkier..policies vary from carrier to carrier..Some will provide consumers the unlock code after a set number of days or at the end of the initial contract. T-Mobile will provide unlock codes to consumers after three months of use. AT&T will not unlock a phone associated with a current active term commitment, and you must already be out of your contract terms or you must have paid an early termination fee. Other U.S. mobile carriers have policies that fall somewhere in between these two companies. If you want an unlocked iPhone you can buy it from Apple for the full price and then purchase a SIM card from the carrier of your choice. There is an easier way..I have used Cellunlocker.net to unlock my last three smartphones..The code was delivered within hours at most often less than 10 minutes and the process couldn’t be simpler..check out this video:

A google search will turn up pages of companies that offer to unlock GSM phones..the process is usually the same..you have to prepay the fee and send the company the name of your carrier and the phone’s IMEI number. The unlock code will then be generated and emailed back to the you. WARNING! there are also a large number of fraudulent unlocking companies online that will simply take your money and not provide an unlock code.

That is why I feel comfortable recommending Cellunlocker.net..The company has been around for 5 years and as I said, I have used their services to unlock my last three smartphones…the price never exceeded $14.99. The service has been great..the one time a code could not be delivered in minutes the company kept me posted by email until the code was delivered and a day later followed up with an email to verify that I was satsfied..by the way Cellunlocker.net offers a 100% satisfaction or money back guarantee.

Bob Benedetti

Former RCAF Fighter Pilot Bob worked for CTV Montreal as a Reporter, Producer and Executive producer for 35 years retiring in 2004. Bob started reporting on personal technology in 1995 at CTV and continues today at Home Technology Montreal